In the first 8 months of 2025, carbon emissions from the power sector (10.56 million tons) exceeded the annual carbon budget of the NECP (10.2 million tons), as fossil gas plants set a record for the same period with 5.79 million tons. For August, however, emissions were relatively lower (1.32 million tons), and carbon intensity was low (213.9 g CO2/kWh) thanks to reduced lignite and gas use.
Monthly emissions from each power plant in Greece are estimated based on the latest available electricity production data (August 2025 for the interconnected network and July 2025 for the non-interconnected islands) and the annual CO2 emissions from ETS (2024), following the methodology and assumptions presented here.
In August 2025, the carbon intensity[1] of electricity production decreased by 28% compared to July and by 22% compared to August last year, reaching 213.9 g CO2/kWh, thanks to reduced production from lignite and gas, and record production from renewables. For the first eight months of 2025, average carbon intensity was 255.5 g CO2/kWh, 5.7% below 2024 levels.
The impact of RES curtailments on carbon intensity is notable. Based on IPTO’s ISP2 and ISP3 forecasts, for the period January to August 2025, RES curtailments totaled 1,616 GWh or 8.1% of total RES production. If this energy were harnessed to reduce the use of fossil fuels, carbon intensity would be 234.8 g CO2/kWh, 8% lower than the actual intensity.
Although for the first eight months of 2025, carbon intensity was lower than last year, cumulative emissions for the same period reached 10.56 million tons, exceeding the 2024 emissions for the same period. This was because total electricity production in 2025 was significantly higher than in 2024 due to increased export activity. It is noted, however, that the 2025 result would have been more favorable if RES curtailments, totaling 1,616 GWh for this period, had been avoided. Specifically, if this energy were used instead of fossil fuels, cumulative emissions in 2025 would be 9.69 million tons or 0.86 million tons less than actual emissions.
In terms of breakdown of emissions by fuel, emissions from gas-fired power plants amounted to 5.79 million tons, accounting for 54.8% of total emissions and reaching their highest level since 2013. On the other hand, emissions from lignite-fired plants for the same period set a new all-time low of 2.44 million tons, while emissions from oil-fired plants on non-interconnected islands were 2.05 million tons.
In August alone, the sector’s CO2 emissions were 1.32 million tons, down 26% compared to July, when a 2-year high was recorded with emissions reaching 1.79 million tons. This month’s decrease is the result of a reduction in electricity production from lignite and fossil gas. Specifically, emissions from gas-fired plants were 0.74 million tons, down 19% compared to July, while emissions from lignite-fired plants were 0.09 million tons, 80% lower than in July, and much lower than emissions from oil-fired plants (0.45 million tons).
In the first eight months of 2025, the lignite-fired power plant of Agios Dimitrios remained at the top of the list of polluters with 1.76 million tons. Despite producing just 1.1 GWh and meeting less than 3% demand, Agios Dimitrios was responsible for 17% of the sector’s total emissions for this period.
In second place was Ag. Nikolaos II with emissions of 0.8 million tons for the eight-month period, down 8% compared to the same period in 2024. In third place was Megalopolis V with 0.74 million tons. The list of top five polluters was completed with Lavrio IV-V and Ptolemaida 5 with emissions of 0.68 million tons and 0.66 million tons, respectively.
On the non-interconnected islands, the five largest polluters were the three power stations in Crete and the two power stations on the island of Rhodes. Specifically in Crete, Atherinolakos recorded emissions of 0.48 million tons and was responsible for 23.5% of total emissions from oil-fired power units. Linoperamata emitted 0.31 million tons, and the Chania plant emitted 0.16 million tons during the eight-month period. On the island of Rhodes, the Rhodes plant recorded emissions of 0.22 million tons, while the N.Rhodes plant noted emissions of 0.19 million tons for the eight-month period.
According to the revised National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) submitted in January 2025 to the European Commission, emissions in the electricity sector are expected to decrease significantly in the coming years. In particular, the target for 2030 is a maximum of 4 million tons of emissions from all three fuels (lignite, fossil gas, oil). This marks a substantial decrease (-91%) compared to 2013, the year in which thermal power plants first began paying for their carbon emissions under the Emissions Trading System (ETS).
In the final NECP, the estimated emissions for 2025 are 10.2 million tons, 5.573 million tons, fewer than in 2024 (15.77 million tons). In the first eight months of 2025, a total of 10.56 million tons is estimated to have been emitted from the sector, meaning that the sector has exceeded the available carbon budget for 2025 by 0.36 million tons, and the country is already over the target it adopted in legislation a few months ago.
You can explore how electricity sector emissions evolved since 2013, as well as find analyses from previous months here.
[1] Carbon intensity is defined as the ratio of emissions from the three fuels (lignite, gas and oil, including CHP) to the country’s total electricity production from the interconnected grid and the non-interconnected islands.
